Damned Tautog: Lessons in Friendship and Patience.

I didn’t want to believe it, but colder waters mark the end of Cape Cod fishin’ season. Experts say that here and there you might wrangle in a tautog. If you are able to pull off such a feat let me know 'cause I am need a new good luck charm.

My rabbits feet did NOTHING to help me catch a Tautog.  

Squig as my co-pilot, we fished the Knob and the Outer-Town dock in Woods Hole. As a lone ranger I ignored the no trespassing signs and fished the gut off of Penzance Point. Nada, Nothing, Nil. WAHHH!

YES, YOU SHOULD WATCH MY SHORT AND ENTERTAINING VIDEO.

Despite terrible odds, and with a smidgen of time to kill this morning I dipped my line into the PCB ridden waters of the Coggeshall St. Bridge in New Bedford for one last hurrah before I headed back to NYC. Luckily, on my way there I met a real live commercial scallop fisherman and he showed me some tricks of the trade. As per his request he will remain anonymous (local celebrity). Let us call him Fisherman Ray.

Fisherman Ray was wicked friggin’ nice and he let me hold his newly harvested swordfish spear.

That's Wassup. Don't mess with the spear, ya freaks.

Here's Ray Dawg hookin’ a female green crab, the elusive tautog's favorite food.

I cast my line into the polluted waters hoping to snag something. A tire, a shoe, a poisonous snake? Nothing.

Note the "DANGER NO FISHING" sign across the way.
Fish Babe don't give a shit, not like I am catching anything anyways.

In the end, the whole 3 day adventure was well worth it. I learned how to tie a fisherman's knot, I learned how to unhook my rig from under a rock and I had much needed lesson in patience. I hung out with old friends and made some new ones along the way. Friends, knots, patience: That's what fishin' and life are all about. In the end who really cares if I caught a fish. Right? Right.